Gun violence, affordable housing top priorities for Durham mayoral candidates

Days after a string of shootings that killed two people and wounded several others, Durham voters will head to the polls next Tuesday to elect a mayor for the next two years.

So, gun violence is top of mind for the two candidates: Mayor Steve Schewel, who is seeking a second term, and Sylvester Williams, a minister making his fourth run at mayor.

"The main cause of gun violence is guns," Schewel said. "As long as we have, in our country, 330 million people and 400 million guns on the street, we’re going to have gun violence."

Schewel supported funding nine extra police officers in the city's 2019-20 budget – Police Chief C.J. Davis requested 18 – but the Durham City Council denied the request and his compromise proposal.

Although Schewel said he still supports hiring more officers, "I will just say again, it’s not going to do nearly the whole job." Tackling the root causes of crime in the city is also necessary, he said.

Williams said, if elected, he will look to Davis and what she says her departments needs.

"I should be mayor because I think that everyone should be safe," he said. "If I could have more police so that every citizen could feel safer in the city of Durham, that’s No. 1."

Williams said his other priorities include housing affordability, jobs and making sure the city serves its lowest-income citizens.

"Those who are at the bottom, those who have been affected the most and hurt the most, what can we do to help them?" he said. "When you help those at the bottom, you help everyone."

Schewel said he also is interested in getting more affordable housing in Durham – a $95 million bond referendum for affordable housing also is on Tuesday's ballot – and expanding public transportation.

"I want to try to make the city we love a city for all," he said.